PROGR4 iOF POICY STUDIES INSCIENCE ANDTECHNOLOGY Seven-Year Review * 1966-1973 (NASA-C--137374) PROGRAM OF POLICY N74-20625 STUDIES IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Seven Year Review, 1966 - 1973 (Georqe Washinqton Univ.) Unclas CSCL 05A G3/34 35029 Reproduced by NATIONAL TECHNICAL INFORMATION SERVICE US Department of Commerce Springfield, VA. 22151 Main office: Suite 714 of the University Library 2130 H Street, N.W. (202) 676-7380 Graduate Program in Science, Technology and Public Policy: Suite 709, 2130 H Street, N.W. (202) 676-7292 Mail address: Program of Policy Studies in Science and Technology The George Washington University, Washington, D.C. 20006 Contents 1 Statement of the Director 7 Advisory Committee 8 Background and Organization 9 Educational Policy Group 11 Innovation Information and Analysis Project 12 Graduate Program in Science, Technology and Public Policy 13 National Advisory Council on Supplementary Centers and Services 14 Technology Assessment Group 16 Completed and Ongoing Studies 32 Seminar Series and Participants 1966-1973 Publications, Reports, Books 83 Program Publications 87 National Advisory Council Publications 88 Books and Project Reports 91 Program Staff Statement of the Director The Program of Policy Studies in Science and The primary characteristics of the Program Technology was established in 1966 with the can thus be summarized as follows: assistance of a generous institutional grant from the National Aeronautics and Space * Emphasis on interdisciplinary, problem- Administration for the specified purpose of oriented analysis. developing a "University policy analysis capa- * Development of intra- and inter-institu- bility." In the 1968-69 Report the Director of tional arrangements for the purpose of the Program described the interim activities analyzing social problems, evaluating ex- and presented a tentative assessment of the isting programs, and assessing the social performance of the Program for the first three impacts of prospective policies, pro- years. This Statement reviews briefly the ac- grams, and other public actions. tivities and operations of the Program with Focus on methodological approaches to respect to its stated objectives for the seven- the projection of alternative future social year period ending August 31, 1973. environments, the identification of the ef- A basic operational assumption of the Pro- fects of the introduction of new policies, gram has been that complex social problems programs, or other actions into the social usually cannot be properly managed by partial system, and the evaluation of the social or specialized treatment or by "one-factor impacts of such effects. fixes." Such problems need to be considered * Availability of analytical resources for ad- within a context sufficiently comprehensive to visory and research tasks, and provision identify significant relationships among vari- for use of Program facilities as a neutral ables, yet limited enough for adequate anal- forum for the discussion of public is- ysis. Hence, a major focus of the program sues involving the impact of advancing was to be on the application of an inter- technology on social value-institutional disciplinary, problem-oriented capability to the processes. performance of total social impact evaluations of the consequences of introducing new con- A crucial element in the concept of the figurations, technological or otherwise, into Program of Policy Studies was and is that its future social environments. In turn, it was research and analytical efforts be directed to anticipated that the knowledge and analytical the actual on-going public policy process proficiency gained from studies, seminars, with special reference to the impact of ad- proceedings and publications would be con- vancing technology on participants, values, verted into instructional materials, teaching and institutions. The staff, of course, recog- techniques, and new curricular designs which nizes the need to develop conceptual schemes could contribute to the strengthening of the to serve as the organizing rationales for policy University's academic programs. analysis tasks. But the essential mission of the Program has been to address existing or national conferences on topics involving ,emerging social problem contexts (whether at science, technology, and public policy. the Federal, state, regional, or local levels and * The PPS provided a substantial part of whether relating to a particular phase or the initial funding and has co-sponsored phases or to all phases of the Policy Formula- with the School of Public and Interna- tion/Program Implementation process). In sum, tional Affairs the Master's Degree Pro- it was not the original objective of the Pro- gram in Science, Technology, and Public gram, nor has it been our practice, to assume Policy. Over 60 students have partici- intellectual/analytical tasks which have cus- pated in this academic, research and tomarily been carried on by the established colloquia program in the past three years. departments and professional schools of the been University. It has rather been to devise means * The publications of the PPS have their of assembling the skills representing all rele- used by numerous universities in public vant disciplines and professions and integrat- courses in the area of science and receives ing such skills into an articulated effort for a policy and the Program regularly complete analysis of a particular problem requests for assistance in the develop- (posited or presented). ment of new courses or for the arrange- ment of meetings or for advice on policy individuals and Program Activities 1966-1973 analysis studies from groups in the U.S. and various foreign The effort of the staff of the Program (PPS) to countries. implement the objectives-characteristics of the * The PPS has received in excess of 60 Program is reflected in the following recital of specific grants and contracts over the activities: past 7 years. * A problem-oriented, policy analysis ca- pability has been developed and the Program Operations Program's professional staff has accrued An interdisciplinary, problem-oriented ap- considerable experience in social impact proach to the analysis of public programs, assessments as represented by numer- projects, or other actions need not be con- ous study reports, seminar proceedings, sidered to exist or not exist. There are various and professional papers. degrees of interaction which might be asso- * The PPS has maintained a basic core ciated with given analytical efforts as well as staff of 10-15 professionals which has at varying combinations of skills and experience times reached a level of 35-40 profes- which might be utilized in a given effort. Policy sionals, including the participation of analyses, including anticipatory project as- over 75 GWU faculty members. sessments, are not ordinarily performed or not performed; they are performed with varying * The PPS has usefully applied the talents degrees of adequacy or inadequacy. Within of over 200 graduate and undergraduate any given policy analysis group, some efforts students in the University. will invariably be performed with a higher * The PPS has presented over 85 profes- degree of proficiency than others for a variety sional seminars, including 16 separate of reasons, i.e., internal or external conditions series and 5 special seminars. Partici- and constraints. pation in these seminars has involved a wide range of representatives of the gov- Our experience over the past seven years ernmental, industrial, university and R&D has demonstrated that an interdisciplinary, communities. problem-oriented approach to policy analysis may assume innumerable dimensions and Theg PPS has published over 100 mono- forms. While a viable policy analysis program graphs, study reports, and books which should have a basic core professional group have been widely distributed by the PPS of 12 to 15 for purposes of consulting on new and through the National Technical In- proposals and reviewing projects in progress, formation Service to interested scholars, it does appear that a readily available profes- policy analysis groups, Federal, state and sional staff of approximately 20 would be local governmental entities, and govern- optimum for a university-based policy analysis mental offices and private policy analysis group such as we have attempted to develop. organizations throughout the world. An extremely cooperative attitude by many * Members of the PPS staff have been members of the University faculty, who are not invited as principal speakers for numer- regularly associated with the Program, has ous Congressional hearings, professional served to provide a reservoir of professional association meetings, and various inter- knowledge and advice upon which the staff 2 has frequently drawn to extend its analytical ational context of social problem analysis resources. requires a particular mix of skills for each difficulties One obvious specific project. This factor poses outcome of our experience has for keeping all members of a broad interdis- been recognition of the need to tailor carefully ciplinary staff continuously and the interdisciplinary usefully en- group effort to the specific gaged. A resulting tendency is for those project. Those skills relevant to the project temporarily unoccupied with a program project objective must be assembled. Our various to pursue special interests of their own. This projects have required a wide range of pro- potential distraction from a total problem anal- fessional skill